


Under the Sea

by carolion



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-23
Updated: 2011-08-23
Packaged: 2017-10-22 23:46:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/243906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolion/pseuds/carolion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He doesn’t understand why his father gets so upset with him, or why he’s forbidden from the surface (okay, yes, he <i>does</i> understand because like, humans and merfolk aren’t supposed to cross paths, but David is <i>really</i> careful!) but David can’t help his fascination with the humans or their things."</p><p>A 'The Little Mermaid' AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under the Sea

David doesn’t _mean_ to be disobedient, honestly! It’s just, he gets really distracted really easily, and it’s hard to remember exact dates and times when there’s _so_ much to explore, and, gosh, learn about! He doesn’t understand why his father gets so upset with him, or why he’s forbidden from the surface (okay, yes, he _does_ understand because like, humans and merfolk aren’t supposed to cross paths, but David is _really_ careful!) but David can’t help his fascination with the humans or their things.

“I’m sixteen years old, dad! I’m not, I’m not a _baby!_ ” David tells his father, and then claps his hands over his mouth, a little surprised that he just said that. After all, his father _is_ the King, and David is a good son, and tries to be respectful, it’s just --

He turns and swims away before his father can say anything else, brushing past his siblings as Brooke hurriedly swims after him, calling his name. He automatically veers towards the little cove where he stashes all of his things, his _human_ things, the objects and doo-dads he’s rescued from sunken ships, or found drifting in the ocean tide. They glitter and glimmer at him like old friends, and David touches one thing-a-ma-jig fondly, wishing he could just _talk_ to someone.

“David?” Brooke calls softly, swimming a loose circle around him. “Are you okay?” David smiles at her, a little, and gestures to his collection.

“Yeah, I’m okay. I just wish he understood! I want, so much, to be like them. To ask them what these _do_ and what they are, I want to learn everything about them!” He stares at his latest toy, twisting the pronged deedle-bee in his fingers before opening his mouth again.

 _”I wanna be where the people are,”_ he sings, softly at first, _”I wanna see, wanna see ‘em dancing,”_ it doesn’t take long for his voice to rise and soar, as he floats in the water, closing his eyes and singing with all his heart.

 _”Flipping your fins you don’t get too far, legs are required for jumping, dancing!”_ Singing is the one thing that David loves, other than his human obsession, and it always, always made him feel good, like little tingles from his head to his fins, and he felt free, for once in his _life_ when he sang.

 _”Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun! Wandering free, wish I could be, part of that world!”_ He closes his eyes, finishing the song, and then colors when he realizes that Brooke is staring at him, smiling gently. He smiles weakly back at the angelfish, but is distracted by a dark shape blocking the sun from above. David looks up - a ship! - and his face transforms with awe. He has to go see, up close, just once! He wants to know!

\---

“When are you going to find yourself a lovely girl and marry her, David?” Cook frowns at his manservant and rolls his eyes, perching recklessly on the edge of the ship, and grinning as Simon scowls at him.

“Simon,” he chides, “how many times have I told you, call me _Cook_.” He prefers his last name. It makes him feel less... princely some how. Simon, predictably, wrinkles his nose and looks scandalized.

“That’s not fit for a prince,” the older man grumbles, and then waves a finger in Cook’s direction, “and you’re avoiding the subject! There are _many_ princesses who would give anything to be your bride. And we all just want to see you settle down and be happy! Why are you so stubborn?” Cook shrugs a shoulder and looks away.

“I don’t want to just marry _any_ girl, Simon, she has to be _the One_.” It’s capitalized in his mind, ‘the One’, the one he’ll love and cherish for all of eternity. It’s not like he doesn’t _want_ to get married, it’s just - he’s only twenty five, and his father is still a strong King, and Cook has _time_ , you know? This isn’t like, something he can do and just forget about later. Marriage is serious, and it has to be right. Simon rolls his eyes, but leaves him alone, and Cook considers that a win.

“She’s gotta be special, huh Dubs?” He asks his dog, ruffling the black fur playfully and smiling to himself.

\---

David watches with huge eyes as the crew on the ship dance and play their instruments, he can’t help the delighted smile that sweeps across his face, and he clings a little tighter to the side of the ship. This is _awesome_! They’re so - lively!

He barely notices when the sky goes dark, too enchanted by their movements and their singing and, oh gosh, this little black dog, running in between their legs, yipping. A man scoops the dog up, laughing, and David looks, and then his mouth goes dry, and his grip almost slips, and he’s sure that this must be love, because his heart has never beat so fast. The man was tall, for a human, and had bright eyes and a wonderful smile, and David’s nails dug into the ship’s siding, unable to look away.

When the storm begins to shake the ship to and fro like a bath toy, David can only watch in horror as the crew is tossed about, and as their vessel breaks into pieces from the storm’s wrath. He looks frantically for the man, the laughing one with the black dog, and finds him clinging to a floating piece of driftwood, his grasp slipping and his body falling into the dark ocean.

David doesn’t think twice about saving him.

\---

Cook feels like he’s been dunked in a rain barrel, wrung out, and then dunked again. Everything is wet, and sandy, and he’s _exhausted_ , and why is he awake, anyway? He’s so tired. But - there it is, the thing that woke him up. _Singing_.

Really, really awesome singing too, pure and honeyed and completely unselfconscious. Cook groggily opens his eyes, feeling gentle fingers run through his soaked hair. What he sees takes his breath away.

It’s a boy, but not just any boy. He is the most _perfect_ boy Cook has ever set eyes on, weirdly beautiful but not too feminine, with full lips and dark lashes and jet black hair. His eyes are closed as he sings, but then the boy seems to notice something change and he stops, abruptly, and opens his eyes. They’re wide and hazel colored, and Cook wants to grab his wrist and never let him go, but he’s still feeling groggy and he can’t quite move.

“Oh!” the boy says, and then smiles widely and Cook is totally, completely enraptured. But it’s like he’s just a part of a dream, because the face suddenly disappears and Cook is left laying on the sand, struggling to his feet as he tries in desperation to save the boy’s face to his memory. By the time he’s fully conscious, all he can remember is that soaring voice, imprinted in his mind for all time.

\---

David knows that his father will be _furious_ , but he just, he _has_ to see Cook again! (He’d learned his name after hiding behind a rock after depositing him on the beach, and watching as Cook’s friend or, advisor or whatever, and the man had shrieked ‘Prince David!’ and um, hello? A _prince_? and Cook had said ‘It’s _Cook_ , Simon,’ but he’d been laughing) And Kim really does seem to want to help him, even though she’s all, like, tentacle-y and the Sea-Witch and everything, and she’s making him feel weird by trailing her long fingernails up his naked chest, gosh! But it seems like an okay deal - three days is enough, isn’t it? And his voice... Well he’ll miss singing, of course, but Cook is just, Cook is _more important_ than any of that, and if doesn’t take this chance he’ll never get to see him again!

“Your voice, your beautiful voice,” Kim is murmuring, and then she’s cackling and he can feel the song leave his body - it’s weird and alien to hear his voice and not feel it coming out, but in a flash of light he’s suddenly squirming, unable to swim. He has legs! Kim laughs again and tucks the bright glow of his voice against her own chest, cradling it selfishly.

He can’t breathe, and he can’t swim, and suddenly everything looks kind of hopeless, but Brooke is dragging him towards the surface, and he gasps for air, paddling desperately to shore.

David gasps for breath, one hand on his chest, and feels the shallow water lap around him, and the sand beneath his - his feet! His toes - _toes!_ \- curl suddenly and he flings them out of the water to stare, his mouth open with shock and amazement. It worked! It actually worked!

“Look!” He tries to say to Brooke, but nothing comes out. Oh - that’s right, his voice. But this has to be worth it, it has to be, I mean, he has _legs!_ David scrambles out of the water to try them out, almost falling over before finally reaching a balance, and that’s when he realizes he’s _naked_ , oh my gosh!

Jason, the seagull, flies over and helps him into a human-type garment, insisting that these were ‘all the rage’ whatever _that_ meant. Brooke watches fondly from the ocean, and Chikezie, who had totally followed him, oh my heck, scuttles after him, his little crab legs making tiny tracks in the sand.

“Alright,” Chikezie says, looking up at David, “we have three days to make this prince of yours fall in love and kiss you. Lets get started.”

\---

“Jesus Dublin, slow down,” Cook calls after his dog, and then runs to catch up. The terrier is yipping excitedly and it isn’t until he rounds the corner that he sees what his dog is so eager to get to.

His eyebrows shoot up and there’s this guy, with ridiculously long lashes and wide eyes and his skin is all shiny from the water, and he’s wrapped up in this, like, _sail_. He looks kind of scared and nervous, but his face lights up when he sees Cook, and, _Christ_ , he’s got the best smile Cook’s ever seen. A wave of recognition crashes over him as he says, “Oh! Hello!” and leans in for a closer look.

The boy doesn’t back away, but his face goes shy, and he licks his lips. Cook has to clench his hands into fists to keep from reaching out and tilting his chin up. “You seem really familiar... Have we met before?” When the boy nods, frantically, Cook feels his heart soar as the memory of a sweet voice comes back to him, and he reaches out to grab the boy’s hand and hold it tightly, his breath coming harder. Could this be the boy, the voice he heard? “We have? What’s your name?”

The boy tries to speak, his mouth forming words eagerly, but no sound comes out. He looks surprised, and then resigned, and Cook asks, “You can’t talk?” and when the guy shakes his head slowly, he feels his heart sinking back down. “Oh. Then - I don’t think you’re who I thought you were.” Cook smiles anyway, and loops an arm around the kid. “It’s okay, come with me. We’ll get you cleaned up.”

He doesn’t notice the seagull that follows them from above, or the crab who scuttles alongside them.

\---

It’s only been a day, but Cook loves this kid. He’s hilarious, in such a unique and different way, and he actually makes Cook _laugh_. He keeps using the utensils all wrong, and has such an appreciation for the little things, the baths and the curtains and the bedding. His face lights up when Cook turns on the television, and he grasps Cook’s hand tightly all the way through a football game that happened to be on, unable to tear his eyes away from the moving image.

“You’ve been through something pretty bad, huh?” Cook asked him earlier, and the way the boy’s face had gone all sad and closed off made Cook’s heart hurt, and he’d wanted so badly to wrap him up in his arms and never let go.

Not to mention? The kid was seriously gorgeous. Cook could stare at him all day, mesmerized by the way he smiles and furrows his brow, and licks his lips, how his eyes crinkle in the corner, and how his hair flops cutely over his forehead. Simon (who had responded surprisingly well to their guest) has already noticed the way Cook has been looking.

“You know, this boy, with the right education and clothing and such, of course, could make a fine husband for you. He’s beautiful, and well-mannered, and he clearly adores you.” Simon says smoothly to Cook, arching an eyebrow. “You know you could have just told me you were interested in _boys_ , David.” Cook frowns and shakes his head.

“It’s not about boys or girls, Simon, geez. Give it a rest. But-” he was waiting, you see. That voice - it has to belong to someone, and he needs to find them, and marry them. Cook is sure that whoever that voice belongs to is the One for him, his soul-mate, and the person he’s going to marry. He’s sure of it. And since this boy can’t speak... There’s no way he could be the One. (Cook tries to ignore how painful it is to admit that, and looks away from the kid’s delighted face as one of the maidservants gifts him with a bundle of flowers.)

\---

“He’s taking you on a tour of the lands today, right? Well we’ve got to get him to kiss you! This will be the perfect opportunity - the two of you alone, together... Yes, this can work!” Chikezie raises a claw triumphantly as David hurries to get ready, throwing the crab a worried look. He’s not really sure if Cook likes him that way - he’s certainly _nice_ to David, but he kind of, like, laughs at him a lot? And ruffles his hair, and throws an arm around his shoulders, but it’s not like, longing looks or declarations of love or anything. (David is fairly certain his own lingering gazes have totally given him away, and that Cook is freaked out by the weird, mute kid who has a crush on him, but is too polite to throw him out.)

Still, excitement curls up in his stomach and his heart flutters rapidly as he descends the stairs to meet with the Prince, dressed in the finest clothes they had given him. He flushes at the look Cook gives him, all wide eyed and open-mouthed, and hope sings bright and high in his heart as Cook ushers him into his car.

The car is shiny and silver and purrs like a cat, and it goes _really_ fast, faster than the dolphins at home can go, and David tips his head back and laughs, silently, as Cook swerves around corners and pushes the car to go faster.

They’re both a little breathless from their wild ride when Cook finally stops the car and says “Come on, I want to show you something.”

They’d already visited a ton of other places, and it had been really fun, even though David couldn’t say so, and he’d held onto Cook’s hand really tight in the marketplace because, _gosh_ , so many people! Now it’s dusk, and this place is quiet, with willow trees planted around a pond and lilies sprouting up from the water. David touches a bluebell reverently as he follows Cook down to the pond, and smiles. It’s so beautiful here, on land. The ocean is beautiful too, of course, but land is exciting and new and different, and everything feels crisp and clear.

David lets Cook help into into the little rowboat, and he sits cautiously as it rocks to and fro while Cook pushes them off the shore. They hadn’t kissed yet. The day was awesome, it really really was, and Cook was like, a total gentleman, but they’d just had fun, and Cook had told all these awful jokes, and David just doesn’t know what’s going to happen next! Technically he has all day tomorrow to get Cook to kiss him too, but tonight - it would just be _perfect_ tonight.

He can feel his pulse jump beneath his skin, but he looks at Cook and smiles all the same.

\---

He’d almost kissed him, holy shit, he’d almost _kissed_ him.

Cook stands at his balcony and grips the railing tight, thoughts whizzing through his head. It’s early morning and the breeze is balmy, and he can see the ocean, and holy shit, he’d almost kissed Archie last night.

(When he’d started guessing at the boy’s name, he kept getting negative responses, and finally the boy had gestured to Cook, then gestured back at himself, and Cook had realized after some confusion that the boy was actually called David as well. He laughed and asked what his last name was, and the boy had tried to mouth it, but all Cook caught was ‘Arch’, so he’d said “Can I call you Archie?” to which the boy had blushed and nodded shyly.)

But last night - it had just - there was this ambience, and he’d looked so damn beautiful sitting there in the boat, his eyes big and dark in the soft light of the rising moon, and everything about him was perfect except for the fact that he couldn’t talk and Cook didn’t actually care about that all that much. Maybe the voice he’d heard _was_ just a dream. Maybe he needs to stop holding onto the hope --

Singing catches his attention and it’s _that voice_ , low and beautiful and sweet, and he leans over the railing frantically to see a beautiful woman strolling past the mansion, her voice soaring high. It’s a little weird - the voice and the image don’t seem to match at all, especially since the singing is sort of masculine, and the girl is sort of, well, a _girl_. But Cook didn’t care. He’d found his One! Then she looks up at him and Cook says “Wha-” and then he feels nothing at all.

\---

David wipes the tears from his eyes as he stands on the dock and watches the marriage boat float away. When he’d heard the news from Jason this morning, that Cook was engaged, he’d been so happy, had thought that maybe Cook was talking about _him_ , and that they’d be _married_ , but it wasn’t so. Cook is marrying someone else, some - some woman who had just shown up all pretty and blond and sharp-eyed. And to make things even worse? Cook has been ignoring him, like, all day! He wouldn’t even look at David! The tears fall steadily, even as he dries them. Now Cook will never kiss him, or love him, and David will have to live with Kim for _ever_ as one of her little pets, and it’s such a terrible fate that he wants to lay down and die.

“David, David!” Jason calls from the sky, and the seagull crash lands next to him, panting and desperate. David isn’t sure he’s ever heard Jason so worked up before! “The girl - it’s the Sea-Witch! It’s Kim! She’s in disguise and she’s going to enslave the prince with her powers!” David gapes at him - could it possibly be true? But, Jason would never lie to him! He looks at the sun, which is low in the sky, and then at the marriage boat.

He could make it. If only to save Cook, he could make it.

\---

David manages to scramble onto the ship, his pants and shirt sopping wet, and stands unsteadily as Kim shrieks angrily while tussling with Jason, who has the strange, starfish shaped medallion that hangs around her neck in his mouth. They pulled against each other until the thin leather strap finally snaps, and the medallion flew in the air, hitting David in the chest roughly. It breaks into two pieces at his feet, and David hears his own voice fill the air, until he’s sucking in a breath and he can feel the warm glow of his _voice_ in his chest.

Cook seems to snap out of his trance, and he looks over at David who can’t help himself and shouts, “Cook!”

Cook stares at him, amazed and says, “Archie! You can talk!” before running over and clasping the boy’s hands in his own. “You’re the One,” he says, in awe and realization, and David closes his eyes.

“Cook I lo-” he tries to say, but the sun is setting, and Cook is bending down to kiss him, oh my gosh!, and Kim is yelling something in the background, and he thinks _’Oh please, please!’_ before the magic takes hold and his body falls to the ground with it’s power.

“You’re too late!” Kim cries out triumphantly, and David clenches his teeth, feeling as his legs turn back into a fish fin, and he looks away from Cook, tears bright on his eyelashes. It’s then that Kim turns back into the huge, tentacled monster she really is, cackling madly and rushing across the ship deck, flinging people aside. She sweeps David into her arms and shouts “He is mine!” before diving into the ocean, and swimming all the way to the bottom.

\---

“David! What are you _doing?_ ” Simon yells, but Cook ignores him.

“I already lost him once, Simon, I’m not losing him again!” He calls back, and continues to row the boat. He’s not going to let that, that _Witch_ steal Archie from him, not when he knows for sure, now that the boy is the love of his life. Just that thought makes his heart cry and sing at the same time, because it rings true when he thinks about it, but the thought of losing him now, after all of this - it’s too much for Cook to bear.

He dives into the water, and sees that .. that _thing_ wearing a crown and pointing a trident at Archie, and this awful rage fills him. He wants nothing more than to see that monster perish, so he hurls his spear at Kim, and the tip slices through her arm. She squeals and turns, brandishing the trident at him.

“Cook, no!” Archie wails, but he’s pinned by Kim’s tentacles, and Cook needs air, holy shit, and he swims hard and long to the surface, only managing to grab one big gulp before Kim’s minions drag him back down.

Archie saves him though, his fish friends (was that a crab and a, an angelfish?) fighting off the two nasty eels and Archie managing to deflect the trident blow that was meant for Cook.

Cook makes it to the surface, and clutches at Archie who follows him. “Oh my God, Archie!” He says, clutching tightly to the boy and pressing his lips against his temple. “Are you okay?”

“You have got to get away from here!” is the only response, but Cook is already shaking his head.

“No! I’m not leaving you!” He says fiercely, and interlaces his fingers with Archie’s, holding on tight. Then the water is churning and churning and Kim bursts between them, monstrously huge, and what the fuck, what the _fucking fuck_ , how is this even real?!

They’re actually standing on Kim’s head, and it’s so fucking _weird_ and scary, so Cook grabs at Archie and dives into the water below, figuring it was safer in there than _on top of the crazy Sea-Witch_. He holds on tighter to the boy, who curls into him as Kim towers above them.

He’s not gong to let them die this way.

\---

David watches Cook carefully, his heart full and heavy with emotion. They’d survived Kim and her wrath; Cook had saved him. Cook had _killed_ Kim, and now hundreds of souls are free, and so is David’s father, and they are all alive (except for Kim) and everything is wonderful -- except, David is still a merman. And Cook is still a human.

He can hear his father’s voice behind him, but he’s too busy staring at the man he loves. His throat goes tight, and all he wants is to hold and by held by Cook, all he wants is to kiss him and love him, but it’s never going to happen now. He’s just glad that Cook is alive, and safe.

The jolt surprises him, and David gasps, arching his back as magic courses through him. What? His father-? David looks up and sees the King smiling gently at him, and David beams, ecstatic. His legs - he has legs again! - are sure this time when he walks out of the water, and towards Cook, who has just woken up.

At least he had clothes on this time, haha!

\---

Archie dresses in all white for the wedding, and blushes the entire time, but his face is the image of joy, and his voice is as strong and beautiful as the first time Cook had heard it.

They kiss in front of a crowd full of merfolk and human alike, sealing their union.

“I love you Cook,” Archie says bashfully, a little while later, and Cook tightens his hold on the boy, never wanting to let go.

“You’re the One,” Cook says in reply, and kisses him breathless again and again.


End file.
